The Interislander ferry ‘Aratere’, refitted and 30 metres longer, glided into her home port today. She was greeted by Wellington’s glorious weather – and not a breath of wind.
The ship will now be certified by Maritime New Zealand; KiwiRail have her scheduled to return to duty on 1st October.
The 'Aratere' slips into Wellington (Photo - Stuff)
The Interislander ship ‘Aratere’ is due to return to New Zealand waters in the very near future, following a $40M refit at the Sembawang Shipyards in Singapore. The work included fitting a re-shaped bow and a new ‘duck tail’ stern, but the most dramatic change was an extension to increase her length by 30 metres. Click on the following picture to see where the cut was made….
'Aratere' left Wellington for Singapore on 12 April (NZ Herald photo)
Long before the ‘Aratere’ left New Zealand, construction began at the Singapore shipyard on the new centre-section insert. ‘Aratere’ departed Wellington on 12 April this year, and arrived in Singapore on the 28th. The surgery began straight away. The ship was cut into two parts amidships – the photos (supplied by Interislander) tell their own story, and show the magnitude of the work involved. More than 6,000 cables had to be cut and reconnected in the operation. Click on the images for a closer look!
Looking more like a city office block, this is the pre-fabricated centre insert for 'Aratere'
Now in two pieces, the 'Aratere' awaits her new centre-section and bow.
The new mid-section is inserted, 6 June
The new bow for 'Aratere' is positioned - 23 June
This type of major engineering is not new – the author recalls ocean-going Royal Viking Line ships undergoing such extensions during the 1980’s. It has been used a cost-effective method of increasing a shipping lines capacity ever since.
The stretched ‘Aratere’, complete with fresh paint, was refloated from dry dock on 30 July. Completion work and sea trials have been taking place since. The ‘Aratere’ seating capacity has increased from 360 to 600. She has a 30 percent increase in vehicle capacity, and 27 percent more rail capacity. In the passenger areas, new comforts include a family lounge with play area and upgraded food court.
'Aratere' was re-floated on 30 July
But the operation has not just been to increase the carrying capability of the ship – the modifications to the front and back of the hull have stability and environmental benefits. The re-shaped bow and new duck tail will markedly reduce the ship’s wake. Following adverse effects on the Marlborough Sounds shoreline during the fast-ferry era, strict wake limits have been imposed by the Regional Council.
‘Aratere’ is expected to return to New Zealand shortly, and to re-enter service between Wellington and Picton on or about 19 September. Read more – visit Interislander
Interislander is currently working on an expansion of Cook Strait ferry capacity, extending their ship Aratere by 29 metres. At 360 passengers – and 130 cars – per sailing this ship is the smallest in capacity in the fleet, and the most likely to be full.
Ship “stretching” is not new. The author recalls the Royal Viking Line extending three ships during the ‘eighties to increase their capacity – effectively the ships were cut in half, the two halves pulled apart and a pre-fabricated insert welded in the space! It is a more cost-effective way to increase capacity, instead of building an entirely new ship.
The current proposal is to add an almost 30-metre long extension to the ship, and plans would also include a revised bow design. “The alterations to the hull and bow will improve the way the Aratere cuts through the waves, boosting the ability to achieve on time performance, while reducing fuel consumption and carbon footprint,” added Thomas Davis, General Manager for Interislander. Early studies also indicate that the changes will reduce the wake produced by as much as thirty percent, which is important in protecting the foreshore of the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.
Interislander is intending to carry out the extension in 2011, with Aratere returning to duties before the summer tourist season.
Of course, this is not the first action by Interislander to ensure they are able to cater for the forecasted busy seasons coming up – in September last year, the lease for the 1650-passenger Kaitaki was extended until 2013.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is about to face another busy summer season. Interislander bookings for the Christmas and summer holiday season are already open, and travellers are being urged to get in now for two reasons. Firstly, it is cheaper to book ahead (and Interislander have just introduced an easy-pay scheme called “Cruisey Pay”). Secondly, the Cook Strait ferries notoriously operate full over that core summer period.
Cruise to the Interislander site HERE.
The thing about video in marketing is that it is about as close to experiencing the product as you can get, before actually trying it! Either moving pictures (a movie) or a slide show constitute a video, and a great place to show it off is on YouTube. Online Tourism TV makes the offer to include our listed operators’ videos up on YouTube for all to see.
The idea behind YouTube is sharing video content with others, and to watch videos and to make comments – and that is why it has now become an important marketing tool.
Founded in February 2005, growth was fast and, within a year of its launch, YouTube was bought by Google. YouTube has now become the world’s most popular online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share their videos. Further, it has become a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire across the globe – this means of social networking draws together people who are attracted by the common theme of video.
YouTube is easy to use. It is completely free for users to upload an unlimited amount of content. And it is free to view. To help the appeal and usability of the site, no matter what format it might be received in, YouTube will convert every video to the internet’s most universal video player, Flash. This means that almost every user with an up-to-date browser is able to use YouTube. Videos can be tagged (a link created) and connected to emails and blogs as video or text.
About two years ago, it was said that “YouTube is poised to become one of the most influential websites on the internet” (source: “Open Content – the people’s media company”). Politicians have now turned to YouTube for campaigning. Advertising agencies now include it in their media lineup. As YouTube now attracts millions of users every day – and the following continues to grow – it is very influential. YouTube has become the most popular social network on the internet.
Given that the YouTube medium is video, it is most important that Online Tourism TV works with YouTube. All the movies and slideshows for our Gold listings are uploaded to YouTube for sharing, which increases the exposure for those products.
Given that we are passionate about New Zealand, we have even put our own video up on YouTube. Kiwi Tourist TV is what the company was initially called but, after the change of ownership, we switched to the current name – which we think is more descriptive and more globally acceptable.
See the Online Tourism TV video HERE.
We can advise you how you can take advantage of YouTube and the other social networks – see our other Blog posts on this very subject, or hit the Contact Us page.
It is very noticeable that many websites now invite visitors to join them on Facebook, or to follow on Twitter! And Online Tourism TV is no different – go to the Home Page and you will see the links. But, how many of us really appreciate the value these “social networks” can offer us?
In our case, when we receive a new Gold listing for Online Tourism TV, we submit the video or slideshow to YouTube. We also provide links to the video on Facebook for “friends” to see and share, and it’s the same with Twitter, where a “tweet” is sent to our “followers”. The networking then takes over. What does all this mean?
What is Facebook?
Facebook was founded in early 2004 as an in-house, on-line communication for students at Harvard University. The network was then expanded to other Ivy League colleges, and then to any university student, then to high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. Facebook has just announced their membership is now more than 500 million active users worldwide – it is the second largest social networking site, behind You Tube.
Individual Facebook members create their own personal profile, in which they share basic information about themselves – where they live, their job, interests – even religious and political views if they want! This information can be used to search for others who have similar interests. Signing up for particular networks on Facebook is another way to identify others with the same interests, who may then be suggested as “friends”.
Businesses are able to use Facebook in the same way an individual. It’s still about sharing information. Of course, individuals and other businesses may join as “friends” and the networking cycle takes over. As tourism is a subject that attracts great interest globally, Facebook and tourism go hand-in-hand – it is really important to have a Facebook presence, and Online Tourism TV offers an effective solution to get you involved.
Facebook and Twitter are quite different...
What is Twitter?
Twitter, on the other hand, is probably best described as an on-line text service which allows thousands of people to see messages instantly.
Twitter started in May, 2007 and quickly became an internet sensation. In March this year, it was estimated Twitter already had 50 million users. New users need to create a user account, which is free, and build a profile, including a picture. This is then linked to a cell phone, a web page or SMS messenger programme, allowing the user to send and receive messages, which are called ‘tweets’. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length, which are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as ‘followers’).
Twitter has quickly become widely accepted not just for personal use, but for business too – it continues to be one of the fastest growing social media marketing tools, promoting website traffic to specific websites. Again, with such great worldwide interest in tourism, it is important tourism operators have Twitter in their arsenal, which Online Tourism TV also offers to it’s customers.
And then there is YouTube, which is different again – see our seperate post.
The Internet has changed!
One recent quote from a web commentator states that “each day the web is becoming less and less textual, it’s evolving into a massive media platform – video will soon become a highly sort (sic) after medium for delivering your message.” This is precisely why Online Tourism TV exists.
Visitors to Online Tourism TV will notice that the content is focused on product presentation by video and slideshow. That is unique in itself, but that is exactly what browsers now look for. But the site also does something else that is unique – it offers direct links back to the lister’s website, for direct online bookings, and that is what the New Zealand tourism industry has been looking for.
Of course online bookings made directly with the operator means that we (ie Online Tourism TV) are not “clicking the ticket” in the process. In my view, those days are gone – they started going way back when airlines such as Air New Zealand withdrew travel agent commissions and went on-line themselves, marketing directly to their passengers.
Years went by and the internet developed and grew, and everyone got a website! It became especially important for tourism operators to have a website, as travellers all over the globe turned to the web to explore the things they should see and do on a visit here. Now the estimate is that there are between 12,000 and 15,000 New Zealand tourism-related websites. How on earth are they all going to stand a chance of being seen?
Online Tourism TV homepage - quick to download, easy to understand, simple to follow!
The answer is, naturally, a subscription to a tourism directory website. Not being in a directory is a little like having a phone line installed, but not putting your number in the telephone book – and hoping the phone will ring! We just wouldn’t do that. And, like any good telephone book, the best internet directory is a logically-designed index that is fast downloading and quickly understandable to browsers, so those who have registered are easily found.
The objective of Online Tourism TV is to get those searchers to your website. How do we do this? We quite unashamedly entice them! We entice them firstly by giving them what they want – video or slideshow of your product. We also entice them by having few but carefully-chosen tempting words and links to your website in the editorial content.
It’s also important you know what we don’t do! Firstly, we don’t do bookings – our job is to get people to your website, and YOU handle the booking, commission-free. And we don’t try to sell searchers something they aren’t looking for. You will never find pop ups or surprise “super deals” from one operator to distract from another.
Online Tourism TV is New Zealand owned and operated. It is unique and it is affordable. Very affordable! Have a look at our information pdf (370kb). And part of our service is putting our customers’ products up on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter – for the importance of that, see our separate post on the Online Tourism TV blog.
John Stokes
Director
